Get to Know Buffalo Bills Week 9 Opponent: New York Jets
By Adam Hayward
The Buffalo Bills have improved their record to 6-1, following their victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. It was a chippy affair, to say the least; Stefon Diggs jawed at Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander before the game, and Packers linebacker Quay Walker got ejected for shoving a Bills practice squad tight end on the sideline.
Despite Josh Allen’s mediocre game, in which he went 13 for 25 for 218 yards and threw two picks along with two touchdowns, the Bills pulled through and bested Green Bay 27-17 to give them their fourth consecutive loss.
Next on the Bills’ schedule is their division rival, the New York Jets, a team the Bills have a record of 67-56 against in the all-time series. The Jets have been playing much better than many have expected, as they’re 5-3 and second in the division – tied with the Miami Dolphins.
They’re 19th in offense, but they fare much better on the defensive side of the ball as they’re ranked 6th in defense. Robert Saleh has his team playing good ball so far during its rebuild, and one might say that he’s still keeping receipts.
Can Zach Wilson find success against the Buffalo Bills?
When Zach Wilson was drafted with the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was poised to be the signal-caller that would lead the Jets back to relevance. Even after a rocky rookie season with more downs than ups, there was some hope that Wilson would take the next step in his sophomore year.
But looking at his numbers through the five games he’s played, however, he hasn’t quite taken that next big leap. Wilson has passed for only 1,048 and three touchdowns, to go along with five interceptions and a passer rating of 71.0. Two of those three touchdowns came in the recent loss to the New England Patriots, where he did throw for over 355 yards but had a completion percentage lower than 50%.
Despite Wilson’s struggles, Saleh is still standing behind the former BYU Cougar as his quarterback going forward and Jets general manager Joe Douglas has also voiced a similar sentiment.
The Bills-Jets game will feature two of the top defenses in the NFL, with Stefon Diggs lining up against rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner. Gardner has been living up to his draft position, leading the NFL with twelve passes defended. With the Bills and Jets leading all other teams in takeaways, and with both teams bringing the pressure from the defensive front, don’t be surprised if Sunday’s game turns out to be somewhat of a defensive struggle.
